1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to horizontal window blinds and, more particularly, concerns horizontal window blind designs having modular components which can be used to manufacture window blinds of varying sizes in an efficient manner.
2. Description of the Related Art
Horizontal window blinds are commonly used window coverings. Typically, the horizontal window blinds consist of a head rail member, that contains both a tilting mechanism and a lifting mechanism, and a plurality of horizontal slats that are connected to the head rail and are arranged in parallel so as to be able to be positioned in front of the window when the head rail member is mounted to the window frame. The slats are generally mounted on string ladders which are attached to the tilting and lifting mechanisms contained within the head rail. The string ladders are essentially comprised of two vertical string members having a connecting piece extending therebetween. The slats are generally positioned on or captured by the string ladders so that the outer edges of the slats are positioned inside of the vertical strings with the slats resting on or between the horizontal connecting pieces of the string ladders.
The lifting mechanism is generally comprised of at least two lifting strings that are adapted to be threaded through openings formed at the outer ends of each of the slats and are then anchored in a bottom rail. The lifting strings are attached to a pulley and catch mechanism or a roller and lock mechanism such that the operator, by pulling on a drawstring, can either raise or lower the slats. The tilting mechanism is generally comprised of a relatively small dimensioned rotatable member that is positioned within the head rail so as to extend across the width of the window. Typically, a rod is attached to a gear mechanism such that user rotation of the tilt rod induces the rotatable member to rotate within the head rail. The outer support strings of the ladders are attached to the rotatable member such that rotation of the rotatable member results in vertical displacement of one outer support string relative to the other thereby causing the slats interposed therebetween to rotate or tilt.
Hence, a user can vary the amount of light entering a room by manipulating the tilting mechanism so as to adjust the slats in the rotational or tilted position. The position of the slats typically can continuously vary between a first position, where the plane of the slats is essentially perpendicular to the plane of the window thereby allowing light to enter through the blinds, and a second position, where the plane of the slats is essentially parallel to the plane of the window thereby preventing light from entering through the blinds.
While horizontal window blinds of the type described above are commonly used, there are several difficulties associated with these window blinds. Initially, many of the components used in prior art window blinds are expensive to manufacture and are relatively easily damaged. For example, the head rail is typically made out of relatively thin metal, such as aluminum or steel, that can be easily damaged during assembly, shipping, or installation. Damaged head rails will often interfere with the correct operation of the tilting mechanism or the lifting mechanism thereby preventing the blind from operating correctly.
In particular, the head rail itself must be cut to the desired length. The cutting process, however, often results in the walls of the head rail becoming bent. As components have to be positioned within the head rail, bent or deformed head rail walls often can prevent correct installation of the components within the head rail. Moreover, to even form the head rails, expensive equipment must often be used. For example, the head rail must not only be cut to size but also pressed into the desired shape. Hence, a window blind manufacturer must purchase both presses and shears to form the head rail member and the act of forming the head rail often results in damage to the head rail that complicates the assembly of the window blind.
Moreover, the assembly of most commonly available prior art window blinds is very time consuming and labor intensive which results in relatively high assembly costs. For example, in many prior art window blinds, intricate gear mechanisms typically interconnect the user actuating tilt rod to the rotatable member positioned within the head rail. This intricate gear mechanism can require a considerable amount of effort to install this intricate mechanism within the head rail. In general, the components that are to be mounted within the head rail generally have to be positioned within a confined opening defending by the head rail itself As the head rails are only several inches in cross-section and depth, there is not a lot of room for an assembler to handle and interconnect the components within the head rail. Hence, the assembly and positioning of the components in the head rail can be a very time consuming task for the assembler due to the limited amount of space within the head rail.
A further difficulty that adds to the expense of manufacturing prior art window blinds is that different sizes of blinds often require different size components. This often requires the manufacturer to stockpile large, unwieldy, difficult to store raw components. For example, large pieces of the materials used to form the head rails must be stored so that these pieces can be subsequently cut and shaped to form head rails adapted to fit different sizes of windows. As the material is thin and the raw pieces are typical quite long, the material often gets damaged in storage which results in both significant wastage of material and time consuming efforts to reshape the material for subsequent use.
A further difficulty stems from the fact that window blinds are preassembled in a factory in standard or custom sizes and then shipped to the job site in an assembled format. However, the head rails can also be easily damaged during shipment due to the thinness of the materials used to form the head rail. Once the head rail is damaged, it may no longer be possible to mount the head rail in a window frame or the damage to the head rail may impair the correct operation of the lifting and tilting mechanisms contained within the head rail. As a consequence, damaged head rails are typically returned to the manufacturer for repair adding to the manufacturers costs. An additional difficulty relating to shipping is that the assembled head rails of the prior art are typically made out of metal materials and are quite heavy. As such, the overall shipping costs of the window blinds of the prior art can be quite expensive.
Yet another difficulty of window blinds of the prior art is that the head rails must be almost exactly the right size to be correctly mounted within the window. Typically, the head rail is mounted at either end to the window frame. If the head rail is too long, it will not fit within the window. Further, if the head rail is too short, the mounting brackets that are mounted to the sides of the window frame will generally not engage the head rail and will not securely hold the window blind to the window frame. A significant source of damage to prior art window blinds occurs when installers attempt to fit a mis-measured head rail into a window frame.
Moreover, often times the standard sized prior art window blinds are not well adapted for use with larger windows. In these circumstances, the installer must use multiple blinds to cover a single large window. This results in a window blind assembly that can have an undesirable appearance. This problem is further exacerbated by the typical construction of the window blinds which makes it difficult to produce window blinds having a width of greater than generally four feet. Hence, for larger windows, multiple blinds must be installed. However, multiple blinds often have an undesirable appearance and also require the manipulation of multiple sets of controls to adjust the blinds.
Yet another problem with window blinds of the prior art is that the head rail is often covered by a decorative valance. The decorative valance can be made of a nicer appearing material that the plain metal of the typical head rail. However, the attachment of the valance to the head rail is often unsatisfactory. Either a simple hook and loop fastener is used to secure the valance to the head rail or a more complicated catch mechanism is used. The problem with the simple hook and loop fastener is that, over time, the fastener becomes ineffective resulting in the valance not being securely fastened to the head rail. Moreover, the more complicated catch mechanisms add to the expense of the window blind and often have an undesirable appearance.
Yet another problem with window blinds of the prior art is that it is sometimes difficult to maintain the slats in a maximally closed position. In particular, when placed in the maximally closed position such that the slats are substantially aligned with the plane of the adjacent window so as to maximally block light from passing through the window blind, the forces applied by the string ladders on the tilting mechanism often produce a biased torque that urges the slats away from maximally closed position. Thus, if the tilting mechanism does not provide a sufficient amount of counteracting frictional torque, the slats of the window blind will tend to rotate away from the maximally closed position. Consequently, the light blocking effectiveness of such window blinds is often compromised.
Yet another problem with window blinds of the prior art is that they typically require a lengthy and expensive installation procedure. In particular, an installer is usually required to travel to the installation site and measure the windows so as to determine the appropriate size of the window blinds. The installer must then custom order the blinds having the appropriate dimensions, which often delays the installation by many days. The installer must then return to the installation site at a later date to install the blinds.
Hence, from the foregoing, it will be appreciated that there is a need for a window blind assembly which is simplified in design, less prone to damage, easier to install and is more readily adaptable to cover windows of different sizes. To this end, there is a need for a window blind assembly which has modular components that can be flexibly mounted together to result in the assembly of window blinds of a variety of sizes in a simple and inexpensive manner.
The aforementioned needs are satisfied by the present invention which, in one aspect, comprises a window blind adapted to cover a window of a structure, the window blind comprising: a mounting section comprising a mounting block and a tilt actuator block, wherein the mounting block and the tilt actuator block each include a recessed spool space formed therein and a first aperture extending through the spool space, wherein the mounting block and the tilt actuator block separately mount to a surface adjacent the window; a rotatable rod assembly comprising a first rotatable member rotatably captured within the spool space of the mounting block so as to extend from the first aperture of the mounting block, a second rotatable member rotatably captured within the spool space of the tilt actuator block so as to extend from the first aperture of the tilt actuator block, and an elongate rod section having a first and second end, wherein the first and second ends of the rod section respectively couple with the first and second rotatable members; and a slat assembly comprising a first and second ladder member supported by the rod assembly and further comprising a plurality of slats supported by the first and second ladder members wherein the ladder members are attached to the rotatable rod assembly so that rotation of the rod assembly results in orientation of the plurality of slats at a pitch angle that determines the amount of light that passes through the window blind.
Another aspect of the invention comprises a method of assembling and installing a window blind from a kit so as to cover a window of a structure with the window blind, the method comprising: measuring the width of the window; selecting the lengths of a plurality of slats so as to substantially match the width of the slats with the measured width of the window; assembling the plurality of slats into a slat assembly; configuring a plurality of mounting blocks each having a rotatable member captured therein to be mounted to a surface adjacent the window, wherein one of the mounting blocks includes a user input device adapted to allow a user to rotate the rotatable member captured therein; selecting the length of at least one rod section of a rod assembly so as to match the length of the rod assembly with the measured width of the window; attaching the at least one rod section with the rotatable members of the plurality of mounting blocks so as to form the rod assembly; attaching the slat assembly to the rod assembly; and attaching the plurality of mounting blocks to a mounting surface of the structure adjacent the window so as to securely position the window blind adjacent the window.
Another aspect of the invention comprises a window blind apparatus for covering a window, the apparatus comprising: a mounting assembly mounted to a surface adjacent the window; a slat assembly comprising a plurality of slats and a plurality of ladder members, wherein each ladder member comprises a first and second elongate section and a plurality of interconnecting sections that interconnect the first and second elongate sections, wherein the interconnecting sections of the ladder members support the plurality of slats; and a tilt rod assembly rotatably captured by the mounting assembly, wherein the tilt rod assembly is formed with a plurality of ladder member attachment points adapted so as to support the plurality of ladder members of the slat assembly, wherein the first and second elongate sections of the ladder members extend from the ladder member attachment points so that the first and second elongate sections of each ladder member is vertically displaced with respect to each other in response to a first rotation of the tilt rod assembly so as to vary the pitch angle of the plurality of slats positioned on the interconnecting sections of the ladder members, wherein the tilt rod assembly is adapted to reduce the horizontal distance between the first and second elongate sections of each ladder member in coincidence with an increase in the pitch angle of the plurality of slats so as to reduce the difference in the tensions of the first and second elongate sections of each ladder member to thereby inhibit the pitch angle of the plurality of slats from changing in the absence of an external torque applied by a user.
Another aspect of the invention comprises a window blind adapted to cover a window of a structure, the window blind comprising: a mounting member mounted to a surface adjacent the window; a rod assembly rotatably supported by the mounting member, the rod assembly comprising an elongate cylindrical rod section having an elongate aperture formed therein, wherein the rod section is formed with a relatively large diameter so as to increase the strength of the rod section; and a slat assembly comprising a first and second ladder member supported by the rod assembly and a plurality of slats supported by the first and second ladder members such that rotation of the rod assembly results in simultaneous rotation of the plurality of slats.
Another aspect of the invention comprises a window blind assembly comprising: a rotatable rod; a plurality of mounting blocks adapted to be mounted to a surface adjacent a window, wherein each of the plurality of mounting blocks includes an interchangeable housing having a first side face and a second side face with a first aperture and a second aperture respectively formed in the first and second side faces wherein each of the interchangeable housings also includes a first recessed space wherein the plurality of mounting blocks are adapted to engage the rotatable rod (i) through a first aperture in the first face in a first configuration, (ii) through a second aperture in a second face in a second configuration and (iii) through both the first and second apertures in a third configuration to thereby allow a standardized mounting block to be used to support the rotatable rods at the ends of the rotatable rod or in the middle of the rotatable rod; a tilt actuator block having an aperture that extends therethrough, wherein the tilt actuator block further includes a tilt mechanism that engages with the rotatable rod so as to rotate the rotatable rod in response to user activation of the tilt mechanism; and a slat assembly having a plurality of slats adapted to be positioned adjacent a window, wherein the slat assembly is coupled to the rotatable rod so that rotation of the rotatable rod in response to user activation of the tilt actuator block results in a change in the pitch angle of the plurality of slats which thereby varies the amount of light let through the slat assembly.
Another aspect of the invention comprises a window blind assembly kit adapted to permit installation of window blinds of varying sizes to windows, the kit comprising in combination: a plurality of mounting blocks adapted to be mounted to a surface of a wall adjacent a window; a tilt mechanism block adapted to be mounted to a surface of a wall adjacent a window; a tilt mechanism adapted to be positioned within the tilt mechanism block; a plurality of rod sections and connectors wherein the plurality of rod sections and connectors can be coupled together to form a rotatable rod of one of a number of possible sizes corresponding to the width of the window and wherein the plurality of rod sections can be coupled to the selected mounting blocks such that when the selected mounting blocks are secured to the surface of the wall adjacent the window, the rotatable rod is retained adjacent the surface of the wall and wherein the plurality of rod sections can be coupled to the tilt mechanism block such that user activation of the tilt mechanism results in rotation of the rotatable rod; a plurality of ladder members adapted to be attached at coupling points to the rotatable rod wherein the plurality of ladder members have two elongate members that are attached to coupling points of the rotatable rod such that rotation of the rotatable rod results in vertical displacement of one vertical member with respect to the other; a plurality of slats of a first length adapted to be engaged with the plurality of ladder members so that rotation of he rotatable member results in a change of pitch of the slats engaged with the plurality of ladder members wherein the slats can be cut to a desired length corresponding to the width of the window; an assembly rack adapted to receive the plurality of slats of the desired length to permit installation of the plurality of slats into the plurality of ladder assemblies and wherein the kit is adapted to permit a single kit to be used to form a window blind assembly that is dimensioned to fit a window of a first size selected from a range of window sizes.
Another aspect of the invention comprises a window blind apparatus for covering a window of a building, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of horizontal slats captured in at least one ladder assembly; a plurality of mounting blocks each adapted to be separately mounted to a surface of the building adjacent the window, wherein the plurality of mounting blocks each define apertures that extend therethrough; a rotatable rod having a first and a second end wherein the rotatable rod is positioned within the plurality of apertures so as to be rotatable within the apertures when the plurality of mounting blocks are mounted to the surface of the building adjacent the window so that the rod is maintained in a substantially horizontal position adjacent the window by the plurality of mounting blocks wherein the at least one ladder assembly is connected to the rotatable rod so that the plurality of slats are positioned in front of the window and so that rotation of the rod results in tilting of the plurality of slats; a tilting mechanism that is adapted to be connected to the first end of the rotatable rod such that user manipulation of the tilting mechanism results in corresponding rotation of the rotatable rod within the apertures of the plurality of mounting blocks; and a vertical adjustment mechanism that is coupled to at least one of the plurality of mounting blocks so that user manipulation of the vertical adjustment mechanism results in corresponding vertical movement of the plurality of horizontal slats.
Another aspect of the invention comprises a window blind for covering a window of a building, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of horizontal slats captured within a plurality of ladder assemblies; a plurality of interchangeable mounting blocks that are each adapted to be separately mounted to a surface of the building adjacent the window, wherein the plurality of interchangeable blocks each defines an aperture extending therethrough; a rotatable rod having a first and a second end wherein the rotatable rod is positioned within the apertures of the plurality of mounting blocks so as to be rotatable within the apertures when the plurality of mounting blocks are mounted to the surface of the building adjacent the window, wherein the rotatable rod is comprised of a plurality of interchangeable rod sections connected together by a plurality of connectors so that a rotatable rod of varying lengths can be assembled, wherein the plurality of ladder assemblies are connected to the rotatable rod so that the plurality of slats are positioned in front of the window and so that rotation of the rod results in tilting of the plurality of slats; a tilting block containing a tilting mechanism that defines an aperture which receives the first end of the rotatable rod, such that user actuation of the tilting mechanism results in corresponding rotation of the rotatable rod within the apertures of the plurality of mounting blocks; and a vertical adjustment mechanism that is coupled to at least one of the plurality of mounting blocks so that user manipulation of the vertical adjustment mechanism results in corresponding vertical movement of the plurality of horizontal slats.